The effort, announced Oct. 25, will focus on TenCate’s experience in thermoplastic composites for aircraft structures and interiors, but with BASF help to tweak them for use in lighter weight passenger vehicles.

BASF, based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, will contribute its expertise in thermoplastic resins to develop special variants of Ultramid nylon, Ultradur polybutylene terephthalate and Ultrason polyethersulfone product lines.

Lighter weight materials are important for a global auto industry that is facing increased demands for improved fuel efficiency. Composites are already used in the industry, but OEMs and suppliers are working on ways to help them meet higher-volume production and processing demands.

TenCate, based in Almelo, also is a part of a consortium along with composites firms DTC Dutch Thermoplastic Composites, Kok & Van Engelen, NLR National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands and VIRO to cooperatively develop composites for the auto industry.